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Roger Zelazny

Roger Zelazny – HUGO & NEBULA AWARD-WINNING authorRoger burst onto the SF scene in the early 1960s with a series of dazzling and groundbreaking short stories. He won his first of six Hugo Awards for Lord of Light, and soon after produced the first book of his enormously popular Amber series, Nine Princes in Amber. In addition to his Hugos, he went on to win three Nebula Awards over the course of a long and distinguished career. He died on June 14, 1995.

Praise for Roger Zelazny

“SWIFT READING.” —New Mexican(Wilderness)

“This is a dazzlingly poetic book, a rare reading experience-reminiscent of Cormac McCarthy’s prose—and I can think of no Western historical characters more appropriate for a poetic book than the mountain man legends, John Colter and Hugh Glass. It was a privilege to read it.” —Dale L. Walker, columnist, Rocky Mountain News(Wilderness)

“Hausman, an authority on Native American culture and history as well as the terrain, wildlife, and beauties of the wilderness, and Zelazny, an sf writer noted for his creative imagination, make ideal partners to produce this tale. A surprise ending will delight readers of the remarkable novel.” —Library Journal(Wilderness)

“Sci-fi-Fantasy master Roger Zelazny was a close friend of mine. When we wrote this novel together in 1988, we became best friends. The stories we wove together, the histories of these two remarkable mountain men, surprised us, and I can still read passages aloud and wonder how it was done—the run, the crawl, as well as the writing of the novel. It's a wonder to me, all of it.” —Gerald Hausman (Wilderness)

“...these fantasy adventures are [Zelazny’s] best work, they have earned him a whole new audience by virtue of their elegance, humor, literacy, vivid action and lightly applied but complex background of tarot, alternate worlds, Olympian gods, and magic.” —Publishers Weekly (Chronicles of Amber)

Leaving his ever-popular and ever-expanding Amber series behind for the nonce, Zelazny delivers a cheerful, witty, well-crafted fantasy narrated by Snuff, dog-companion to Jack the Ripper. It seems that Jack is in fact a sorcerer and his gruesome exploits were perpetrated in the service of his magic. But the Ripper's killings are tangential to the tale of an upcoming struggle between magical personages. In a rare occurrence, the cosmic forces are in alignment, permitting an opening for the Elder Gods to return to Earth. "Openers" are contending with "Closers," who want to keep the Elder Gods shut out. Snuff recounts the day-by-day preparations as players size up the competition, gather their magical arsenals and make and break alliances. Snuff himself maneuvers among other familiars (a cat named Graymalk, a snake called Quicklime, etc.). An instantly recognizable gothic compliment of characters includes a mad doctor trying to reanimate a patchwork corpse with lightning, a werewolf named Larry Talbot and a "Great Detective" who haunts the sidelines. Zelazny handles this material with a charm few can match, and while this novel does not approach the depth of his best work like Lord of Light, its deft, understated good humor and spare, poetic prose reaffirm Zelazny as one of fantasy's most skilled practitioners.—Publishers Weekly (A Night in the Lonesome October)

Zelazny bursts forth with, well, "Victorian light supernatural fantasy" just about covers it. Narrator Snuff, a guard dog who performs complex thaumaturgical calculations in his head, has many duties: to keep various Things firmly trapped in mirrors, wardrobes, and steamer trunks; to accompany his master, Jack—he of the magical blade—on weird collecting expeditions into the graveyards and slums of Victorian London; and—for a single hour each night—discuss the day's goings-on in human speech. Snuff's neighbors include: Jill the witch and her familiar, Graymalk the cat, with whom Snuff forms a friendly alliance; Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Frankenstein, Dracula, a werewolf, and a satanic vicar. The witches, detectives, doctors, vampires, etc., along with their equally industrious familiars, trade information and scheme for advantage as the full moon of Halloween approaches; at that time, a magical showdown to decide the fate of the Earth will occur. Some of the characters are "openers," determined to open a magical doorway allowing the Old Gods to reoccupy the Earth; others are "closers," equally resolved to keep the magical door nailed shut; and a few are involved yet stand outside the Game altogether. Snuff's problem is to discover who is which. Sparkling, witty, delightful: Zelazny's best for ages, perhaps his best ever.—Kirkus Reviews (A Night in the Lonesome October)